In the fifties after many failed attempts to sell his songs, he finally was signed up with Capitol Records and recorded a few rock and roll songs without much chart success. Just before he was drafted into the Army, he wrote a song called 'The All American Boy' and did a demo for his friend, Bill Parsons, to learn and record it. Instead of using the version Bill Parsons did later, the record company, Fraternity Records, decided to use the original demo done by Bobby Bare. The record reached number 2 on the Billboard Top 100, but it was wrongly credited to Bill Parsons.
His real big break came when RCA boss and guitarist Chet Atkins signed him to the RCA label. The first song he released on this label, 'Shame On Me', sold nearly a million copies and pushed Bobby Bare to fame overnight. His second RCA release, 'Detroit City' won him a Grammy for the best song of the year. Then a surge of hits followed, including '500 Miles Away From Home', 'Four Strong Winds' and others. He has also recorded two very successful albums with Skeeter Davis and has also dueted with Lacy J. Dalton and Rosanne Cash and additionally had a major hit as part of a trio with Norma Jean (singer) and Liz Anderson in 1967 titled 'The Game of Triangles'.
He moved to Mercury label in 1970 and had two big hits from early Kris Kristofferson compositions, 'Come Sundown' and 'Please Don't Tell Me How The Story Ends' before returning to RCA label where he produced his own records. Later Bare moved to CBS label and in 1979, he helped establish Rosanne Cash's career by singing with her on "No Memories Hangin' Round". Bare's singles for Columbia Records included 'The Jogger', 'Tequila Sheila', 'Gotta Get Rid Of This Band', 'When Hippies Get Older' and 'Numbers'. He later recorded for EMI with little success.
Bobby Bare is a versatile singer, and in the 70s started to release novelty songs recorded live with selected audiences. One of such songs, 'Marie Laveau' about a witch, reached the number one position on the country chart. This song was written by his friend, a very talented song writer, poet, author and cartoonist Shel Silverstein. He also penned many other songs for Bobby Bare including a Grammy nominated hit called 'Daddy What If' which he recorded with his five year old son, Bobby Bare Jr, who later became a star on his own. Bobby Bare later recorded a very successful album with his family and penned mainly by Shel called 'Singing in The Kitchen'. It was nominated for best group category in Grammy Awards but was declined by Bobby himself.
He later took chances recording strange, controversial material as 'Dropkick Me Jesus (Through The Goalposts Of Life)' (a 1976 Grammy nominee) and the expletive-driven 'Redneck Hippie Romance' with much success.
Bobby Bare is also the first to come up with a concept album called 'Bird Named Yesterday' which was very successful. His most successful concept album is 'Lullaby Legends and Lies'.
Bobby Bare was also given an opportunity to star in the movies. He did a Western with Troy Donahue called A Distant Trumpet, and a few episodes of a TV series called No Time for Sergeants. He turned his back on Hollywood to pursue his career in Country Music.
In 1998 he formed the band Old Dogs together with his friends Jerry Reed, Mel Tillis and Waylon Jennings.
In addition to the above, Bobby Bare is credited for introducing Waylon Jennings to RCA. He is also one of the first to record from many well known song writers such as Jack Clement, Harlan Howard, Billy Joe Shaver, Mickey Newberry, Tom T. Hall, Kris Kristofferson, and many others. He later had a TV series called 'Bobby Bare & Friends, A Song Writer Showcase'. Recently, he has recorded a new album after over 20 years called 'The Moon Was Blue' produced by his son. His son, Bobby Bare, Jr., is also a musician.
Bottles & Boxes
Bobby Bare Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
Picking up bottles and boxes and papers and anything else we'd throw down
He's hump-backed and wrinkled but unlike Van Winkel he doesn't sleep his life away
And he speaks so seldom that some of us wonder just what the old man has to say
Some folks laugh at him but he doesn't notice he goes right on bout his day
Picking up bottles and boxes and papers and pieces of life thrown away
[ piano ]
Too big and tattered the clothes that he's gathered from boxes thrown into the street
Sisters and mothers and daddys and brothers he has none as far as I know
Just bottles and boxes they're his little Fort Knoxes
But to us they're just somethin' to throw
Some folks laugh at him...
[ piano ]
Bottles and boxes and ten miles a day he walks slowly making his rounds
Picking up bottles and boxes and papers and anything else we'd throw down
The song "Bottles & Boxes" by Bobby Bare tells the story of a man who walks ten miles a day, picking up bottles, boxes, and papers that people have discarded. Despite his age and physical condition, he continues to do this every day, rain or shine. The man seems to have a simple existence, with no family or possessions except for the bottles and boxes he collects. The singer is aware that some people ridicule the old man, but he just carries on with his work, quietly going about his day.
On one level, this song is about the problem of waste and how it impacts our environment. But it's also a poignant reminder that even those who seem to have nothing can lead meaningful lives. The old man in the song may not have much in the way of material possessions or social connections, but he has found a way to make himself useful and to contribute to society. The singer admires him for his work ethic and notes that he rarely speaks, leaving his thoughts and feelings a mystery to those around him.
Overall, "Bottles & Boxes" is a moving tribute to an unassuming hero, a man who works hard every day to make the world a better place. It reminds us that sometimes it's the smallest actions that can have the greatest impact, and that people who seem insignificant can be full of surprises.
Line by Line Meaning
Bottles and boxes and ten miles a day he walks slowly making his rounds
Every day, he walks ten miles slowly, making rounds to pick up bottles, boxes, papers, and anything else that people throw down.
Picking up bottles and boxes and papers and anything else we'd throw down
He collects discarded items such as bottles, boxes, papers, and other things that people throw down.
He's hump-backed and wrinkled but unlike Van Winkel he doesn't sleep his life away
Despite being hunchbacked and wrinkled, he does not waste his life by sleeping all day like Van Winkel.
And he speaks so seldom that some of us wonder just what the old man has to say
He rarely speaks, which makes some people wonder what he has to say.
Some folks laugh at him but he doesn't notice he goes right on bout his day
Although some people may laugh at him, he pays no attention and continues on with his work.
Too big and tattered the clothes that he's gathered from boxes thrown into the street
He wears oversized and worn-out clothes that he has collected from boxes thrown into the street.
He hides from the rain under store building ownings and stays in a shade in the heat
He seeks shelter from the rain under store building overhangs and remains in the shade to avoid the heat.
Sisters and mothers and daddys and brothers he has none as far as I know
As far as anyone knows, he has no sisters, mothers, daddies, or brothers.
Just bottles and boxes they're his little Fort Knoxes but to us they're just somethin' to throw
To him, the collected bottles and boxes are his treasures, but to others, they are just something to throw away.
Bottles and boxes and ten miles a day he walks slowly making his rounds
Once again, he walks ten miles every day, slowly making rounds to pick up bottles, boxes, papers, and anything else that people throw down.
Lyrics © O/B/O APRA AMCOS
Written by: Roger Murrah
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind